Pneumatic press and metal-forming machine.



E. G. GROSS.

PNEUMATIC PRESS AND METAL FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1914.

L 1 3% 1 mm Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

WITNESSES &

A TTOR/VE Y EDWARD G. (moss, or comnunus, GEORGIA.

" PNETIG PRESS AND METAL-FORMING MACHINE.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

lflPatented Apr. 21, 1915..

Application filed March 30, 1914. Serial No. 828,174.

general and railroad shop's'in particular. I

fully attain this and other objects by the mechanism described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification.

This class of work around railroad shops has previously been done. byheating the piece to be operated upon, and then hammering it into the desired shape; but this method is slow, laborious, expensive and generally unsatisfactory, requiring skilled mechanicsand in some cases special and expensive facilities for heating large pieces of metaL- With the machine here shown and described all of the objectionable features of V the work have been eliminated, and the cost reduced at least since it can be operated by cheap labor and the metal requires no heating.

.Mli

. The machine alone is used principally for straightening large sheets of metal which have been bent out of shape, but taken in combination withrthe different kinds and work which can be done on this'machine, as

the variety is only limited by the, different designs of forming blocks which the operator cares to use.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a full perspective view of my machine. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the female die vblock for forming guard rails. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the male die block for forming guard rails.

' Referring more particularly to the drawing: 1 is a metal face platelto which are rigidly secured metal uprights '2, and to the topv ends of the said uprights 2, transverse members 3 are rigidly secured. Transverse bars 4 are rigidly secured to the said uprights 2, at a point between the said face plate 1 and the said transverse members 3, for the purpose of'bracing the structure and afiording means for locking the piston rod 5 in a stationary position. The said transverse bars 4, are provided with holes 6, spaced at intervals, into which metal rods 6 are introduced for the purpose of holding the said piston rod 5, cylinder 10 and carriage 9 in a stationary position, which prevents the pressing block 7 from slipping to one side or the other when itrhappens to Y in such a shape as to form an inclined plane.

The structure of the machine is braced together by rods 8, which are attached to the said face plate Land the said transverse members 3 in such a manner that they hold the said ,uprights 2 exactly perpendicular to the said face platel. A carriage 9 is adapted to traverse the length of the said transverse members 3, the top edges. of which form a track for the carriage, and from this carriage the cylinder 10 is suspended by an eye-bolt 11. The'said carriage 9 and cylinder .10 aremoved from one point to another between the extremities of the said transverse members 3, by means of asprocket chain 12, secured to the said carriage 9 and running over sprocket wheels 13, to which motion is imparted by means of a hand chain 14 and a chain wheel 15, the said chain wheel 15 being fastened on the same shaft as is one of the said sprocket wheels; and the said hand chain 14: is within easy reach of the operator, who may move the said carriage and cylinder at will.

The machine is operated by fluid pressure admitted at 16 into a controlling valve 17 and from there it passes through conduit.

18 and flexible tube 19 into the top end of the said cylinder 10, Where it delivers a pressure in proportion to that of the main supply.

To relieve the pressure and raise the pressing block 7, fluid pressure is sent into the'bottom end of the cylinder 10, through conduit 20 and flexible tube 21, while the dead air in the top of the said cylinder 10 passes to the atmosphere through flexible tube 19, conduit 18 and controlling valve 17.

The female forming block A (Fig. 2) is I provided with a longitudinal channel I), to receive the bottom half of the base'of a rail,

said female forming block A is concaved to form a radius slightly greater than the radius of the said rail is to be after it 'is bent, so that the tendency of the rail to spring back when the pressure is removed, will be overcome.

The male forming block E provided with a longitudinal channel 7, to

receive the top half of the base ofa rail, a longitudinal channel 9, to receive the top.

half of the ball of the said rail, and a longitudinal 'raised plane h, to engage the top side of the web of the said rail. The said male forming block E is constructed with the bottom side convexed to correspond with the concaved surface of -'the said female forming block A, and is secured to the bottom end of said piston rod 5, by'means of a set screw 5, in such a position that .the said channels in both the female forming block A and. the male forming block E are parallel to each other.

To'use the guard rail forming equipment, the femaleforming block, shown in Fig. 2,

p is placed acrossthelface plate 1, while'the pressing block. 7 is removed, and the malev forming blockshown inFig. 3 is attached to the piston'rod 5 by means of a set screw 5;

but other-dies and forming blocks-may be substituted and used in the same manner.

(Fi 3) r is tially as shown and described.

this exact construction, but desire the privi-.

lege of using any analogies or mechanical equivalents. v

- Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

Ina pneumat'c press and metal forming machine, the co bination of aface plate, upright members secured at each end thereof, transverse members secured at the top ends of the said upright members, a carrying member adapted to traverse the length of the said transverse members and support a cylinder, provided with a piston, a piston rod, means for applying, attaching and detaching forming members of various designs to the bottom end thereof, with means forapplying a downward pressure to the said piston rod, means for controlling and releasing said pressure, means for moving the said carrying member and cylinder from one point to another along the length of the said transverse members, and means for maintaining the said carrying member and cylinderin a; stationary position, substan- In testimony that-I claim the foregoing as my own Irhavehereto aifixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses. v

v EDW RD e. GROSS.

Witnesses:

W. F. MCCAULEY,

J. T KNIGHT. 

